Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to close legacy benefit provisions relating to polygamous marriages.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Polygamous marriages are illegal in the UK. Immigration rules have generally prevented the formation of polygamous households in this country since 1988. Under successive governments access to benefit support for additional spouses is only available where the marriage took place in a country where the practice is legal. The Department does not hold information in respect of Pension Credit. However, the most recent published data (August 2025) from the Housing Benefit Single Housing Extract (SHBE) indicates that there are fewer than ten households where claimants are recorded as being in a polygamous marriage formed in another country. In these exceptional cases, there is no financial benefit as more would be paid in benefits if the additional person claimed as a single person. There are no plans to change the existing benefit rules.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to the public purse of additional benefit payments made in respect of multiple spouses under legacy benefit arrangements.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Polygamous marriages are illegal in the UK. Immigration rules have generally prevented the formation of polygamous households in this country since 1988. Under successive governments access to benefit support for additional spouses is only available where the marriage took place in a country where the practice is legal. The Department does not hold information in respect of Pension Credit. However, the most recent published data (August 2025) from the Housing Benefit Single Housing Extract (SHBE) indicates that there are fewer than ten households where claimants are recorded as being in a polygamous marriage formed in another country. In these exceptional cases, there is no financial benefit as more would be paid in benefits if the additional person claimed as a single person. There are no plans to change the existing benefit rules.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants in receipt of legacy benefits are currently receiving additional benefit entitlement in respect of more than one spouse.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Polygamous marriages are illegal in the UK. Immigration rules have generally prevented the formation of polygamous households in this country since 1988. Under successive governments access to benefit support for additional spouses is only available where the marriage took place in a country where the practice is legal. The Department does not hold information in respect of Pension Credit. However, the most recent published data (August 2025) from the Housing Benefit Single Housing Extract (SHBE) indicates that there are fewer than ten households where claimants are recorded as being in a polygamous marriage formed in another country. In these exceptional cases, there is no financial benefit as more would be paid in benefits if the additional person claimed as a single person. There are no plans to change the existing benefit rules.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government plans to amend legacy benefit regulations to remove provisions recognising additional spouses in polygamous marriages.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Polygamous marriages are illegal in the UK. Immigration rules have generally prevented the formation of polygamous households in this country since 1988. Under successive governments access to benefit support for additional spouses is only available where the marriage took place in a country where the practice is legal. The Department does not hold information in respect of Pension Credit. However, the most recent published data (August 2025) from the Housing Benefit Single Housing Extract (SHBE) indicates that there are fewer than ten households where claimants are recorded as being in a polygamous marriage formed in another country. In these exceptional cases, there is no financial benefit as more would be paid in benefits if the additional person claimed as a single person. There are no plans to change the existing benefit rules.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to provide tailored employment support for young people aged 16 to 24 who are unemployed or economically inactive.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government is committed to improving outcomes for young people by ensuring they can access tailored support to move into employment, education or training through the Youth Guarantee, supported by a total investment of £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.

This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres to provide more intensive support to 16-24 year olds looking for work on Universal Credit. From their first appointment young people will receive tailored employment support and a structured path into a job, apprenticeship, work experience, Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAP), learning or training.

This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. It will also help unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities, through a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship hiring payment for non-levy employers hiring 16–24-year-olds and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage of schools currently have access to a Mental Health Support Team; and what the timetable is for further rollout.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) continue to play a key role in providing early intervention and support for children and young people’s mental health in education settings.

As at March 2026, 5.8 million pupils and learners were covered by an MHST, equating to 60% of pupils in schools and learners in further education settings in England. This is an increase from 5 million pupils and learners, or 52%, in March 2025.

As at March 2026, 11,800 schools and colleges were supported by an MHST, equating to 48% of schools and colleges in England. This is an increase from 10,000 schools and colleges, or 41%, in March 2025.

We are continuing to expand access to MHSTs. Assuming the average number of schools, colleges, pupils, and learners supported by each team remains constant, coverage is estimated to increase to approximately 66% of pupils and learners and 53% of schools and colleges by March 2027. This could provide MHST coverage to an additional 1,200 schools and colleges and approximately 595,000 more pupils and learners during 2026/27.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made towards recruiting the additional mental health workforce.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, in February, the Government delivered on its commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers this Parliament, three years ahead of schedule.

Between 30 June 2024 and 31 March 2026, the mental health workforce has grown by 8,948 full time equivalents.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has any plans to provide for single oversight of the funeral industry and the handling of bodies and funerals.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care is leading on co-ordinating cross-Government work to consider options for raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased in all settings, including the funeral sector, supported by the Department of Business and Trade, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Government has committed to publishing its full response to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report in summer 2026. This will set out the Government’s position on all 75 recommendations, including those relating to raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what measures his Department is considering to protect the dignity of human bodies in the context of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care is leading on co-ordinating cross-Government work to consider options for raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased in all settings, including the funeral sector, supported by the Department of Business and Trade, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Government has committed to publishing its full response to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report in summer 2026. This will set out the Government’s position on all 75 recommendations, including those relating to raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of total NHS spending has been allocated to mental health services in each year since 2019.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The proportion of total National Health Service spending allocated to mental health services was 8.05% in 2018/19, 8.45% in 2019/20, 8.51% in 2020/21, 8.73% in 2021/22, 8.87% in 2022/23, 9.05% in 2023/24, 8.78% in 2024/25, and 8.68% in 2025/26.

Within the annual statement for NHS mental health spend on 12 March, the former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced that the proportion of spend in 2026/27 was forecast to be 8.40%. Further information on the forecast spend is available at the following link:

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-03-12/hcws1397

The proportion of spend forecast for 2026/27 is just 0.28% lower than in 2025/26. This is because of significant additional investment in other core areas of the entire NHS, which will also have ancillary benefits for mental health, including the substantial amounts going into NHS technology and digital transformation, strengthening general practice, expanding community-based services, and establishing neighbourhood health centres. Spending on mental health also continues to increase in real terms and is forecast reach a record £16.1 billion in 2026/27. This represents a real-terms increase of approximately £140 million compared with 2025/26, and approximately £900 million of real-terms growth since 2023/24.

Please note that the figures on the proportion of total NHS spending allocated to mental health services don’t include the significant capital investment we’re making on mental health, as £473 million is being made available over the next four years which includes funding for Mental Health Emergency Departments and Community-Based Mental Health Centres.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of anti-bullying programmes in reducing mental health problems among school-age children.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying. They have the freedom to develop their own anti-bullying strategies appropriate to their environment and are held to account by Ofsted.

The department recently commissioned an expert and evidence-led review into best practice on managing pupil behaviour, reducing preventable exclusions and tackling and preventing bullying. The learning from this review will inform the creation of a practical toolkit for schools to support senior leaders to develop safe, supportive school cultures.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time is for children and young people to access NHS mental health services in each Integrated Care Board area.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following table shows the median waiting time, in days, for children and young people, those aged under 18 years old, to access National Health Service mental health services in each integrated care board (ICB), based on those still waiting for a first contact:

The data covers January to March 2026 and uses median waiting time, the standard measure for mental health waiting times, as published in the Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics, Performance March 2026 - NHS England Digital. Where the ICB is recorded as ‘Unknown’, this indicates that the patient’s ICB, based on general practice or residence, was not recorded. The Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics, Performance March 2026 - NHS England Digital is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-services-monthly-statistics/performance-march-2026

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of ending core grant funding for Regional Organised Crime Units on the ability of police forces to tackle organised crime, county lines and violent offending.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCUs) are a critical part of the national policing response to tackling serious and organised crime and that will remain the case. Their maturity and performance reflect years of sustained cross-force commitment, and we want to build on this.

The Police Reform White Paper set out a comprehensive programme to improve the quality, consistency and effectiveness of policing, spanning both the national and local tiers. At the national level, this includes the establishment of a National Police Service to strengthen the response to terrorism and serious organised crime, by bringing together nationally facing functions delivered through the National Crime Agency, Counter Terrorism Policing and ROCUs.

Total funding to police forces will be up to £18.4 billion, an increase of up to £834 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. This equates to a 4.7% cash increase and a 2.7% real terms increase in funding. For this financial year, alongside the contributions PCCs make through the wider police grant, the Home Office is providing significant programmatic funding to support key ROCU capabilities to tackle serious and organised crime.

Furthermore, as part of this broader investment in policing capability, we are investing more than £34m this financial year (26/27) in the County Lines Programme, to target exploitative drug dealing gangs whilst breaking the organised crime groups behind this trade.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of reductions in funding for Violence Reduction Units and the Serious Violence Duty on levels of knife crime and youth violence.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

We are committed to halving knife crime in a decade, and in April 2026 published a Plan to Halve Knife Crime.

As part of this, the 26/27 Police Settlement included an allocation of over £66m for Serious Violence Reduction Programmes. This funding will be used to maintain our network of 20 Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in the areas of England and Wales which are experiencing over 80% of knife crime; support public sector bodies to fulfil their statutory requirements under the Serious Violence Duty and continue the promising work of the Young Futures Panel pilots.

We are considering funding options for FY 27/28 and 28/29 for Serious Violence Reduction Programmes, including VRUs.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to the letter of 22 May from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State to the Hon. Member for Stockton West, how many qualified DVSA staff have returned to front line examining roles and how many exams have they conducted expressed a) as a number and b) as a percentage of all tests.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In June 2025, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) reintroduced overtime incentives via the Additional Test Allowance (ATA) scheme. Since then, the agency has conducted around 9,000 to 13,000 extra tests each month through overtime, and between June 2025 and April 2026 DVSA delivered 217,294 more tests than in the same period the year before.

In April 2026, 5,985 car practical driving tests were conducted by staff qualified to conduct tests but working in non-driving examiner (DE) roles as part of their normal day job. This equates to ~3% of the total 176,690 car practical driving tests, conducted in April 2026. DVSA is still finalising the car practical driving tests conducted data for May 2026, and this will be available later in June.

As well as overtime incentives, DVSA is making an exceptional payment of £5,000 to DEs and eligible roles (divided into two payments) over 12 months to encourage existing DEs to stay. As of April 2026, there were 1,604 full-time equivalent (FTE) DE available to deliver car practical driving tests. The number of tests an individual DE can conduct in a year can differ for various reasons, however, a full-time DE can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

DVSA has reviewed its DE recruitment and training system to increase capacity. A six-week accelerated DE training pilot is enabling faster qualification without compromising standards. DVSA is also reviewing the trainee‑to‑trainer ratio and increasing the number of permanent trainers to boost test delivery capacity, underpinned by improved end‑to‑end workforce planning.

Between 1 January and 31 May 2026, Ministry of Defence support has delivered 2,686 additional tests in parts of England, including the north east, south west of London, and the south west.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to the letter of 22 May from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State to the Hon. Member for Stockton West, how many Ministry of Defence driving examiners have been used for civilian driving exams and how many exams have they conducted in each of the last two years.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In June 2025, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) reintroduced overtime incentives via the Additional Test Allowance (ATA) scheme. Since then, the agency has conducted around 9,000 to 13,000 extra tests each month through overtime, and between June 2025 and April 2026 DVSA delivered 217,294 more tests than in the same period the year before.

In April 2026, 5,985 car practical driving tests were conducted by staff qualified to conduct tests but working in non-driving examiner (DE) roles as part of their normal day job. This equates to ~3% of the total 176,690 car practical driving tests, conducted in April 2026. DVSA is still finalising the car practical driving tests conducted data for May 2026, and this will be available later in June.

As well as overtime incentives, DVSA is making an exceptional payment of £5,000 to DEs and eligible roles (divided into two payments) over 12 months to encourage existing DEs to stay. As of April 2026, there were 1,604 full-time equivalent (FTE) DE available to deliver car practical driving tests. The number of tests an individual DE can conduct in a year can differ for various reasons, however, a full-time DE can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

DVSA has reviewed its DE recruitment and training system to increase capacity. A six-week accelerated DE training pilot is enabling faster qualification without compromising standards. DVSA is also reviewing the trainee‑to‑trainer ratio and increasing the number of permanent trainers to boost test delivery capacity, underpinned by improved end‑to‑end workforce planning.

Between 1 January and 31 May 2026, Ministry of Defence support has delivered 2,686 additional tests in parts of England, including the north east, south west of London, and the south west.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to the letter of 22 May from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State to the Hon. Member for Stockton West, if he will set out what steps he has taken to increase training capacity so that new examiners can become qualified more quickly.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In June 2025, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) reintroduced overtime incentives via the Additional Test Allowance (ATA) scheme. Since then, the agency has conducted around 9,000 to 13,000 extra tests each month through overtime, and between June 2025 and April 2026 DVSA delivered 217,294 more tests than in the same period the year before.

In April 2026, 5,985 car practical driving tests were conducted by staff qualified to conduct tests but working in non-driving examiner (DE) roles as part of their normal day job. This equates to ~3% of the total 176,690 car practical driving tests, conducted in April 2026. DVSA is still finalising the car practical driving tests conducted data for May 2026, and this will be available later in June.

As well as overtime incentives, DVSA is making an exceptional payment of £5,000 to DEs and eligible roles (divided into two payments) over 12 months to encourage existing DEs to stay. As of April 2026, there were 1,604 full-time equivalent (FTE) DE available to deliver car practical driving tests. The number of tests an individual DE can conduct in a year can differ for various reasons, however, a full-time DE can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

DVSA has reviewed its DE recruitment and training system to increase capacity. A six-week accelerated DE training pilot is enabling faster qualification without compromising standards. DVSA is also reviewing the trainee‑to‑trainer ratio and increasing the number of permanent trainers to boost test delivery capacity, underpinned by improved end‑to‑end workforce planning.

Between 1 January and 31 May 2026, Ministry of Defence support has delivered 2,686 additional tests in parts of England, including the north east, south west of London, and the south west.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to the letter of 22 May from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State to the Hon. Member for Stockton West, if he will set out some of the incentives being offered to examiners to perform more tests; and if he will list the average number of tests performed per week per examiner in each of the last 3 years.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In June 2025, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) reintroduced overtime incentives via the Additional Test Allowance (ATA) scheme. Since then, the agency has conducted around 9,000 to 13,000 extra tests each month through overtime, and between June 2025 and April 2026 DVSA delivered 217,294 more tests than in the same period the year before.

In April 2026, 5,985 car practical driving tests were conducted by staff qualified to conduct tests but working in non-driving examiner (DE) roles as part of their normal day job. This equates to ~3% of the total 176,690 car practical driving tests, conducted in April 2026. DVSA is still finalising the car practical driving tests conducted data for May 2026, and this will be available later in June.

As well as overtime incentives, DVSA is making an exceptional payment of £5,000 to DEs and eligible roles (divided into two payments) over 12 months to encourage existing DEs to stay. As of April 2026, there were 1,604 full-time equivalent (FTE) DE available to deliver car practical driving tests. The number of tests an individual DE can conduct in a year can differ for various reasons, however, a full-time DE can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

DVSA has reviewed its DE recruitment and training system to increase capacity. A six-week accelerated DE training pilot is enabling faster qualification without compromising standards. DVSA is also reviewing the trainee‑to‑trainer ratio and increasing the number of permanent trainers to boost test delivery capacity, underpinned by improved end‑to‑end workforce planning.

Between 1 January and 31 May 2026, Ministry of Defence support has delivered 2,686 additional tests in parts of England, including the north east, south west of London, and the south west.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her department plans to place water safety campaigns on TikTok, YouTube and other social media platforms popular with young people.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Water safety is a shared responsibility across Government, arm's length bodies, and specialist organisations. All organisations are encouraged to use their social channels in the most effective way. Platform use and advertising spend varies between organisations to reflect different target audiences.

The Environment Agency shares safety advice around its assets and supports campaigns by leading experts such as the RNLI and Royal Life Saving Society. The Canal and River Trust, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, and others run their own water safety campaigns across multiple channels.

The National Water Safety Forum is currently running ‘Phone-Float-Throw’, a targeted paid digital campaign aimed at young male audiences across platforms including Snapchat. Defra and its ministers amplify water safety messaging by resharing content from the Environment Agency and partners on social media.

Government departments are limited in their use of TikTok, with central Government activity primarily conducted through the UK Government's central account.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether individuals in polygamous marriages can receive additional entitlement for multiple spouses under Universal Credit.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Polygamous marriages are not recognised under Universal Credit, and there is no provision within Universal Credit for additional entitlement in respect of multiple spouses.

Polygamous marriages are illegal in the UK. Immigration rules have generally prevented the formation of polygamous households in this country since 1988.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for the rise in youth unemployment among people aged 16 to 24 in the past 24 months.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

This Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. For many years, our young people have not had the opportunity and support they deserve. The number of 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK not in education, employment or training (NEET) has risen by 77,000 over the last two years. This is an increase of 62,000 in those who are unemployed, and 15,000 in those who are economically inactive. However, these issues are long-standing. Between 2021-2024, the number of NEET young people rose by 250,000. There are multiple factors that can drive this, including a lack of work experience, mental health and wider economic conditions.

The interim report of the independent review into young people and work led by Alan Milburn, published on Thursday 28^th May, identifies multiple reasons as to why there has been an increase in youth unemployment. This report can be found here: Young people and work: interim report - GOV.UK.

We are committed to tackling the challenges identified in the interim report, and are preparing for the recommendations expected to be published in the second phase of the Milburn review in the Autumn. We are already investing £2.5 billion into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy to support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn over the next three years. Furthermore, our Pathways to Work programme (which will be backed by £1 billion a year of funding by the end of the decade) is building towards a guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for all disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits. Through Pathways to Work, young people with health conditions or disabilities have access to tailored support including help into supported employment through Connect to Work.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the value for money of the Local Democracy Reporting Service; and whether future funding for the Local Democracy Reporting Service will be conditional on demonstrable compliance with impartiality, accuracy and editorial transparency standards.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Secretary of State meets regularly with the BBC to discuss a wide range of issues.

The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the government. The BBC’s Principles of Operation for the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) set out that the core purpose of the LDRS is to provide impartial coverage of the regular business and workings of local authorities in the UK, and other relevant democratic institutions. These Principles also make clear that Local Democracy Reporters report to the contract holder, not to the BBC or any other partner, and their reporting should be undertaken according to common editorial standards. The full set of principles is available at https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/lnp/LDRS_operation_principles.pdf.

The Charter Review, launched on 16 December 2025, will ensure the BBC continues to deliver the high standards of reporting that the public expect of a national broadcaster and that it is suitably transparent to the public and to Parliament. The Green Paper discussed how the next Charter could guarantee local news of democratic importance is provided into the future, through initiatives such as the LDRS. In doing so we are evaluating what, if any, changes are necessary to ensure the LDRS operates as effectively as possible.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of safeguards to ensure that BBC-funded Local Democracy Reporters produce balanced and impartial coverage when their reports are supplied to local news outlets.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Secretary of State meets regularly with the BBC to discuss a wide range of issues.

The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the government. The BBC’s Principles of Operation for the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) set out that the core purpose of the LDRS is to provide impartial coverage of the regular business and workings of local authorities in the UK, and other relevant democratic institutions. These Principles also make clear that Local Democracy Reporters report to the contract holder, not to the BBC or any other partner, and their reporting should be undertaken according to common editorial standards. The full set of principles is available at https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/lnp/LDRS_operation_principles.pdf.

The Charter Review, launched on 16 December 2025, will ensure the BBC continues to deliver the high standards of reporting that the public expect of a national broadcaster and that it is suitably transparent to the public and to Parliament. The Green Paper discussed how the next Charter could guarantee local news of democratic importance is provided into the future, through initiatives such as the LDRS. In doing so we are evaluating what, if any, changes are necessary to ensure the LDRS operates as effectively as possible.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the BBC on how the Local Democracy Reporting Service ensures political impartiality in reporting on local councils, combined authorities and other local democratic institutions.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Secretary of State meets regularly with the BBC to discuss a wide range of issues.

The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the government. The BBC’s Principles of Operation for the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) set out that the core purpose of the LDRS is to provide impartial coverage of the regular business and workings of local authorities in the UK, and other relevant democratic institutions. These Principles also make clear that Local Democracy Reporters report to the contract holder, not to the BBC or any other partner, and their reporting should be undertaken according to common editorial standards. The full set of principles is available at https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/lnp/LDRS_operation_principles.pdf.

The Charter Review, launched on 16 December 2025, will ensure the BBC continues to deliver the high standards of reporting that the public expect of a national broadcaster and that it is suitably transparent to the public and to Parliament. The Green Paper discussed how the next Charter could guarantee local news of democratic importance is provided into the future, through initiatives such as the LDRS. In doing so we are evaluating what, if any, changes are necessary to ensure the LDRS operates as effectively as possible.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of Local Democracy Reporting Service funded reporter posts are currently hosted by Reach plc publications.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Local Democracy Reporting Scheme currently provides 165 journalists in local news rooms across the country.

The BBC publishes a full list of the allocated LDRS contracts and reporters which is available at https://www.bbc.co.uk/lnp/documents/reporter_contract_distribution_2025_v3.pdf. 83 reporters were allocated to Reach in the most recent round of contract awards last year.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference the Government's December 2025 BBC Charter Review Green Paper proposing the expansion of the Local Democracy Reporting Service, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that independent academic researchers are able to access the comprehensive set of content produced by that scheme.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The content produced by Local Democracy Reporting Service journalists is made freely available to the BBC and partners to the BBC’s Local News Partnerships scheme. The BBC is operationally independent of the government and the process for determining Partnership eligibility is therefore a matter for the BBC itself.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that funeral directors carry out the lawful burial or cremation of bodies following the Legacy Independent Funeral Directors.

Answered by Catherine Atkinson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The death management process, including the care of the deceased through to burial or cremation, engages the policy and/or operational responsibilities of a number of Departments and arm’s length bodies. This includes the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Business and Trade, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. In addition, its delivery is reliant on a wide range of providers from within the public, private, faith and not-for-profit sectors.

This Department has worked closely within government and with the wider funeral sector in response to the horrific incident involving Legacy Independent Funeral Directors and other similar, equally disturbing, cases. In its Phase 2 report published in July 2025 (David Fuller inquiry: phase 2 report - GOV.UK), the Fuller Inquiry called for the Government to urgently introduce independent statutory regulation to safeguard the security and dignity of those who have died. Going forward, the Department of Health and Social Care is leading on co-ordinating cross-government work to consider options for raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased in all settings, including the funeral sector, supported by the Departments I have specifically mentioned above.

The Government has committed to publishing its full response to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report in summer 2026. This will set out the Government’s position on all 75 recommendations, including those relating to raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Health and Social Care and the Department for Business on the regulation of the funeral sector.

Answered by Catherine Atkinson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The death management process, including the care of the deceased through to burial or cremation, engages the policy and/or operational responsibilities of a number of Departments and arm’s length bodies. This includes the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Business and Trade, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. In addition, its delivery is reliant on a wide range of providers from within the public, private, faith and not-for-profit sectors.

This Department has worked closely within government and with the wider funeral sector in response to the horrific incident involving Legacy Independent Funeral Directors and other similar, equally disturbing, cases. In its Phase 2 report published in July 2025 (David Fuller inquiry: phase 2 report - GOV.UK), the Fuller Inquiry called for the Government to urgently introduce independent statutory regulation to safeguard the security and dignity of those who have died. Going forward, the Department of Health and Social Care is leading on co-ordinating cross-government work to consider options for raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased in all settings, including the funeral sector, supported by the Departments I have specifically mentioned above.

The Government has committed to publishing its full response to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report in summer 2026. This will set out the Government’s position on all 75 recommendations, including those relating to raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which Government departments and agencies are responsible for bodies of the departed from death through to (a) burial and (b) cremation.

Answered by Catherine Atkinson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The death management process, including the care of the deceased through to burial or cremation, engages the policy and/or operational responsibilities of a number of Departments and arm’s length bodies. This includes the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Business and Trade, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. In addition, its delivery is reliant on a wide range of providers from within the public, private, faith and not-for-profit sectors.

This Department has worked closely within government and with the wider funeral sector in response to the horrific incident involving Legacy Independent Funeral Directors and other similar, equally disturbing, cases. In its Phase 2 report published in July 2025 (David Fuller inquiry: phase 2 report - GOV.UK), the Fuller Inquiry called for the Government to urgently introduce independent statutory regulation to safeguard the security and dignity of those who have died. Going forward, the Department of Health and Social Care is leading on co-ordinating cross-government work to consider options for raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased in all settings, including the funeral sector, supported by the Departments I have specifically mentioned above.

The Government has committed to publishing its full response to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report in summer 2026. This will set out the Government’s position on all 75 recommendations, including those relating to raising standards in relation to the care and treatment of the deceased.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether officials in his Department have made representations to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman on the time taken for complaint allocation during the last twelve months.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is operationally independent of central government, and the Ombudsman is accountable directly to Parliament for the use of their investigatory powers.

The Department does not routinely collect performance information or make specific assessments about the Ombudsman’s handling of complaints. The Ombudsman publishes a range of performance information on their website.

The Department maintains a sponsorship relationship with the Ombudsman, through which a range of corporate and operational matters are regularly discussed. However, the consideration and handling of complaints are operational matters for the Ombudsman. Decisions relating to the Ombudsman’s staffing and use of resources are also matters for the Ombudsman.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what performance standards apply to the time taken by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to allocate complaints for assessment.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is operationally independent of central government, and the Ombudsman is accountable directly to Parliament for the use of their investigatory powers.

The Department does not routinely collect performance information or make specific assessments about the Ombudsman’s handling of complaints. The Ombudsman publishes a range of performance information on their website.

The Department maintains a sponsorship relationship with the Ombudsman, through which a range of corporate and operational matters are regularly discussed. However, the consideration and handling of complaints are operational matters for the Ombudsman. Decisions relating to the Ombudsman’s staffing and use of resources are also matters for the Ombudsman.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Ombudsman has sought additional (a) funding and (b) staffing resources to improve complaint handling times.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is operationally independent of central government, and the Ombudsman is accountable directly to Parliament for the use of their investigatory powers.

The Department does not routinely collect performance information or make specific assessments about the Ombudsman’s handling of complaints. The Ombudsman publishes a range of performance information on their website.

The Department maintains a sponsorship relationship with the Ombudsman, through which a range of corporate and operational matters are regularly discussed. However, the consideration and handling of complaints are operational matters for the Ombudsman. Decisions relating to the Ombudsman’s staffing and use of resources are also matters for the Ombudsman.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the time taken for the allocation and investigation of complaints by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman on access to administrative justice.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is operationally independent of central government, and the Ombudsman is accountable directly to Parliament for the use of their investigatory powers.

The Department does not routinely collect performance information or make specific assessments about the Ombudsman’s handling of complaints. The Ombudsman publishes a range of performance information on their website.

The Department maintains a sponsorship relationship with the Ombudsman, through which a range of corporate and operational matters are regularly discussed. However, the consideration and handling of complaints are operational matters for the Ombudsman. Decisions relating to the Ombudsman’s staffing and use of resources are also matters for the Ombudsman.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many complaints were awaiting determination by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman at the end of each of the last five financial years.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is operationally independent of central government, and the Ombudsman is accountable directly to Parliament for the use of their investigatory powers.

The Department does not routinely collect performance information or make specific assessments about the Ombudsman’s handling of complaints. The Ombudsman publishes a range of performance information on their website.

The Department maintains a sponsorship relationship with the Ombudsman, through which a range of corporate and operational matters are regularly discussed. However, the consideration and handling of complaints are operational matters for the Ombudsman. Decisions relating to the Ombudsman’s staffing and use of resources are also matters for the Ombudsman.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many complaints were awaiting allocation for assessment by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman on the latest date for which figures are available.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is operationally independent of central government, and the Ombudsman is accountable directly to Parliament for the use of their investigatory powers.

The Department does not routinely collect performance information or make specific assessments about the Ombudsman’s handling of complaints. The Ombudsman publishes a range of performance information on their website.

The Department maintains a sponsorship relationship with the Ombudsman, through which a range of corporate and operational matters are regularly discussed. However, the consideration and handling of complaints are operational matters for the Ombudsman. Decisions relating to the Ombudsman’s staffing and use of resources are also matters for the Ombudsman.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the longest period was that a complaint had been awaiting allocation for assessment by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman on the latest date for which figures are available.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is operationally independent of central government, and the Ombudsman is accountable directly to Parliament for the use of their investigatory powers.

The Department does not routinely collect performance information or make specific assessments about the Ombudsman’s handling of complaints. The Ombudsman publishes a range of performance information on their website.

The Department maintains a sponsorship relationship with the Ombudsman, through which a range of corporate and operational matters are regularly discussed. However, the consideration and handling of complaints are operational matters for the Ombudsman. Decisions relating to the Ombudsman’s staffing and use of resources are also matters for the Ombudsman.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many complaints submitted to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman were awaiting allocation for assessment for more than six months on the latest date for which figures are available.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is operationally independent of central government, and the Ombudsman is accountable directly to Parliament for the use of their investigatory powers.

The Department does not routinely collect performance information or make specific assessments about the Ombudsman’s handling of complaints. The Ombudsman publishes a range of performance information on their website.

The Department maintains a sponsorship relationship with the Ombudsman, through which a range of corporate and operational matters are regularly discussed. However, the consideration and handling of complaints are operational matters for the Ombudsman. Decisions relating to the Ombudsman’s staffing and use of resources are also matters for the Ombudsman.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department collects data on the length of time complainants wait before a complaint is first considered by a caseworker at the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is operationally independent of central government, and the Ombudsman is accountable directly to Parliament for the use of their investigatory powers.

The Department does not routinely collect performance information or make specific assessments about the Ombudsman’s handling of complaints. The Ombudsman publishes a range of performance information on their website.

The Department maintains a sponsorship relationship with the Ombudsman, through which a range of corporate and operational matters are regularly discussed. However, the consideration and handling of complaints are operational matters for the Ombudsman. Decisions relating to the Ombudsman’s staffing and use of resources are also matters for the Ombudsman.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to funding for (a) Violence Reduction Units, (b) the Serious Violence Duty, (c) Regional Organised Crime Units, (d) hotspot policing grants and (e) victim on police forces finances in the 2026-27 financial year.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential cumulative impact of reductions to (a) prevention funding, (b) victim services funding and (c) hotspot policing grants on levels of violent crime.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)